Eastlake Shootout Standouts

Eastlake girls' basketball held its inaugural holiday tournament this weekend, aptly named the Eastlake Shootout. Six programs- five from El Paso and one from Las Cruces- competed in the two-day event. The six teams were split into two pools of three, and the final day concluded with the highest-ranked teams facing each other in the final while the remaining squads faced off in the consolation games. Here are the standout performers I saw.    This weekend was the first time I watched [player_tooltip player_id='391117' first='Jazlene' last='Ruiz']. I've seen her on tape, but she's even better in person. Just a shade under 5'7", she's one of the best transition scorers I've scouted in the Borderland. Her size and speed are largely unmatched in this area, and she is an excellent finisher. More specifically, she can play fast and under control with the ball in her hands. I've seen plenty of undersized guards do that, but not many with the Mayfield guard's size and frame. She is going to make an excellent point guard at the next level. I believe she is a good enough passer and point-of-attack defender to play the one at a high level.     I've been keeping tabs on the Mayfield girls' basketball program and was aware of [player_tooltip player_id='814475' first='Lorrena' last='Viarreal'], but I was more than impressed with what I saw these past two days. For starters, she is of great height and has a strong frame for this area, and she towers over El Paso guards, who are usually undersized. At 5'9'', she can play anywhere on the floor in this area, but she has the athleticism and skill set to play as a guard. Her defense is what really sold me: her lateral movement and short-area quickness in the halfcourt stood out. In the championship game against Burges--the best program in El Paso 1-5A basketball--she had three or four on-ball blocks against jump shooters. She's also a plus on offense; she can run the floor and can score from the perimeter if given the opportunity. I have no doubt this kid can play and excel at the next level.     Anytime Danae Gonzalez plays in a tournament, showcase, shootout, or whatever you like to call it, she has to make the list of top performers. Her play demands it, regardless of the result or her point total. She was timely with every 3-pointer she hit in the championship game against Mayfield and played with 100 percent effort--as she always does. From an effort and energy standpoint, I have not seen a more impressive prospect than her--regardless of position, classification, district, or gender. Every collegiate program would love to have a kid like Danae Gonzalez.     I wouldn't be doing my job if some players from the host team didn't receive mention. Eastlake is having an excellent bounce-back year, and their combo guard Karina [player_tooltip player_id='881215' first='Ramos' last='']-Jurado has a lot to do with that. Somewhat undersized, the junior guard has the ability to play on and off the ball, given Eastlake's personnel. She's an energetic point-of-attack defender who can fill it up from the perimeter on the offensive end. She's one of the better 3-point shooters I've scouted for her size, who can catch-and-shoot or take jumpers off the dribble. She was Eastlake's best player in their Pool A matchup against Mayfield on Friday.     One of the better 2027 prospects in Borderland was in attendance, and she showed why she was among the best in her class. Evani Valdez is an undersized guard with great foot speed and lateral quickness who has a knack for getting to just about every spot on the floor. As a sophomore, she's still learning the details and nuances of the game, but she flashes high-level potential for the point guard position. Valdez is a three-sport athlete who makes use of her time playing volleyball and soccer on the basketball court. Whereas most prospects her age are still learning how to make basketball movements, she has great coordination and balance. This is a prospect coaches at the next level need to keep an eye on because she's only going to get better going forward.

Eastlake girls' basketball held its inaugural holiday tournament this weekend, aptly named the Eastlake Shootout. Six programs- five from El Paso and one from Las Cruces- competed in the two-day event. The six teams were split into two pools of three, and the final day concluded with the highest-ranked teams facing each other in the final while the remaining squads faced off in the consolation games. Here are the standout performers I saw.